The science and technologies for the fabrication of new materials enable technological developments in various fields of materials in engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, and materials science. In order to connect the structural properties of the material of interest with the internal microstructure, it is necessary to characterize the materials on all length scales regarding, for example, the grain size, texture, chemical composition, and atomic interface structure.

The role of advances in materials science and engineering is establishing improved understanding and quantification of structure-property relations for engineered materials. Hierarchical and concurrent multiscale models can be defined in terms of utility in supporting materials design. Complex structure-property relations, along with recently developed strategies for relating desired properties to feasible structures, and challenges for designing materials via tailoring of hierarchical structure provides support for decisions made in the design and development of materials.

In this Special Issue we welcome both original research and review articles that examine recent advanced technology and engineering approaches for designing, synthesizing, characterizing, and evaluating micro- and nanostructures for various applications, with a focus on their experimental investigations. Papers can address the following subjects: nanomaterials preparation, modification, characterization, morphologies, properties, and applications, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal, oxide materials, polymer, molecules, nanoparticles, nanowires, etc.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Materials synthesis and characterizations
• Unconventional synthesis: size-dependent properties
• Theory and principles of nanostructures and nanomaterials
• Mechanisms of nanocrystallization in nanomaterials manufacturing
• Design of innovative micro/nano structures and stability of nanocrystalline structures
• Nanomechanical characterization including optical, structural, and morphological properties
• Mathematical modelling and computational simulations of surface morphology/topography
• Zero-dimensional nanostructures (e.g. nanoparticles) and their applications
• One-dimensional nanostructures (e.g. nanowires and nanorods) and their applications
• Two-dimensional nanostructures (e.g. thin films) and their applications
• Carbon-based nanomaterials
• Integration of high-performance nanostructures into micro/nanosystems
• Biomaterials, graphene, catalytic, electronic, and energy materials
• Optoelectronic, oxide, photovoltaics and photocatalysis, and sensors materials and their applications
• Characterization, technology, morphology, and micro/nanostructures of polymers and their applications